In April 1945, a group of Azerbaijanis in German uniforms passed the Swiss border in Campocologno. Having escaped from German captivity, the Azerbaijanis were interned in Switzerland. Their presence in the country would prove to be a particular challenge a while later, when diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union were resumed.
The latest article in the journal Saggi di Dodis deals with the repatriation issue of the Azerbaijani internees as an important aspect of the rapprochement between Switzerland and the Soviet Union in the immediate post-war period. Lelia Ischi shows that the deportation of the Azerbaijani internees to Turkey instead of the USSR in 1948, in view of the fragile relations with the communist superpower, must be classified as a risky humanitarian action in terms of foreign policy.
The article by Lelia Ischi is available for download at dodis.ch/saggi/4-5 in Open Access.
For more articles from the journal Saggi di Dodis: dodis.ch/saggi